Source: telanganatoday.com
Hyderabad: Emerging and in-demand areas of learning at engineering level have started to take over from the traditionally popular courses such as Electrical and Electronics Engineering (EEE), Mechanical Engineering and Civil engineering.
Course such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT) and Data Science have started to take precedence which can be seen from private engineering colleges wanting to shift to them while ceding some seats in other regular courses.
For the academic year 2020-2021, around 120 private engineering colleges have applied to the Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University-Hyderabad (JNTU-H) seeking conversion of nearly 20,000 seats in EEE, Mechanical and Civil engineering courses into programmes in emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, IoT and Data Science.
This year, JNTU-H has approved introduction of six new programmes in emerging technologies including Computer Engineering-Software Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering-Cyber Security, Computer Science and Engineering-Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Computer Science and Engineering-Data Science, Computer Science and Engineering-Internet of Things and Computer Science and Engineering-Networks.
According to the JNTU-H authorities, of late EEE, Mechanical and Civil engineering courses have been witnessing lesser demand from the students with colleges having a tough time in filling the seats. “Private engineering colleges which have excess number of seats in EEE, Mechanical and Civil engineering courses are seeking seat conversion into emerging technologies. The colleges are not closing the courses but reducing intake. We particularly got applications for conversion of seats to Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Data Science and Internet of Things,” a senior official said.
The university will take a call on converting the seats once the colleges meet required norms including availability of faculty, laboratories and infrastructure for teaching new courses.
Meanwhile, in view of the Covid-19 pandemic, JNTU-H is exploring various options for granting affiliation to private engineering colleges for the academic year 2020-21. Every year, experts from the varsity inspect the colleges before granting affiliation. In view of the prevailing conditions due to coronavirus, this norm is being relooked into.
“We are looking into the guidelines of the University Grants Commission, All India Council for Technical Education and other State universities for granting affiliations to the private engineering colleges. A decision will be taken in a week,” the official said.